Mini named Anders Warming to succeed Gert Hildebrand as head of design

When Gert Hildebrand leaves Mini as head of design by Dec. 31, Anders Warming will take his place. In a statement, BMW AG said that Hildebrand had been with it for 10 years, at which time he is credited for giving a new look and feel for the Mini brand after its relaunch. On the other hand, Warming had been BMW's head of exterior design since 2007.

In this capacity, 38-year-old Warming styled exteriors of the current Z4 roadster and 5-series mid-sized range as well as the Concept 6 Series Coupe that was displayed at the Paris auto show last September.

It was in 1997 that Warming began his career with BMW at its DesignworksUSA studio in California.

In 2005, he moved to BMW headquarters in Munich to become team leader for advanced design. While working here, Automotive News Europe recognized him as one of Europe's future design stars.

Beginning January 2001, Hildebrand supervised the development of the Mini three-door hatchback, the Mini Cabriolet, the three-and-a-half door Clubman and its first four-door model, the Countryman crossover that was launched in September.

In addition, Hildebrand and his team created the Mini Coupe and Roadster concepts that debuted in 2009. Production versions of those models will start arriving in the market in 2011.